Bhutto hardens her line - no civvy-clothes, no deal

In a significant public hardening of her position on stripping President Musharraf of his army uniform....

The possibilities seem endless, specially that Ms. Bhutto seems to be having issues with her own clothes ...

Attacks against Afghan schools continue to disrupt education – UN

Considering the first word revealed of the Quran was the command to "iqra - read" news like the below is not only shocking, but terribly sad!

Security incidents in schools and threats against students and teachers in Afghanistan have spiked in recent months, disrupting education in the country, which this year has seen some of the worst violence since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, according to the United Nations mission there.

Over 30 attacks against schools, many involving the torching or blowing up of school premises have been reported in all parts of the country from January until June, Nilab Mobarez, Information Officer with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, said at a press conference in Kabul today.

Deliberate attacks on girls and female teachers have resulted in at least four deaths and six injuries so far this year, he told reporters.

There is no compulsion in issuing a Fatwa!!!

In a courageous move Egyptian Mufti, Ali Gomaa, declared (24.07.2007) freedom of religion which effectively means that a Muslim can change his religion or leave it if he so desires and that there was no earthly punishment for that.

He based this on a few Suras of the Quran:

[2.256] There is no compulsion in religion...
[18.29] And say: The truth is from your Lord, so let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve...
[109.6] You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.
as quoted by the Washington Post.

On the same day, Gulf News reports that the Mufti denies his 'freedom to choose religion' comment

A day later Al Masry Al Youm picks up the declaration one more time and translates the entire Washington Post piece.

And in another article the paper quotes the reactions of various Egyptian Muslim scholars from Al Azhar.

Abdel Moaty Bayoumi supoprts Ali Gomaa's view, as long as the apostate does not commit any treason or any acts which would harm the community at large. He quotes another Sura:
[2.217] ...and whoever of you turns back from his religion, then he dies while an unbeliever-- these it is whose works shall go for nothing in this world and the hereafter, and they are the inmates of the fire; therein they shall abide.

Dr. Mohamed raafat Osman, former Dean of the Faculty of Sharia also supports the Mufti's view.

On the other hand, Sheikh Youssef Al Badry, denies the freedom of religion. He argues that Hudoud Laws obligate the killing of apostates and that Islamic scholars throughout the ages have abided by that. He quotes various Hadiths to support his view.

So the opposing view is based on Hadith while the favourable one is based on the QUran. Makes one wonder!!!

3 days later the paper again translates another article from The Guardian this time and quotes a spokesman of the Mufti as saying that freedom of religion is granted, though in secret. ANybody who wants to leave Islam can do so in private and keep silent about it in public.

So what's it going to be finally? Freedom or none? Private or public? Truth or lies? Got to hand it to the Mufti, never a dull moment!!

The topic though is not new and was discussed very heatedly last year around this time.

Islamophobia? Hardly!!

The wife of Abu Hamza, the jailed Muslim cleric, dubbed the "preacher of hate", who is serving seven years forinciting the murder of non-Muslims, has complained about herhusband's treatment in a high-security London prison.

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Don't you just feel for that man? Look at his face and then weep for his victims.

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His wife says: "The reason that his arm needed further amputation was because of the removal of his prostheses, resulting in him constantly putting pressure onthe remainder of his fore limbs. As there is no soft furnishing in his cell,he has been suffering considerable pain. After surgery, before he had evenrecovered from the anaesthetic, he was returned to Belmarsh, only to be toldhe had to move from his cell to another one. He was so weak and unable tostand that he refused, resulting in him being put in solitary confinement."

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I can't help but wonder!!

Egyptian Sexologist Joins Circumcision Debate

After Egypt's Mufti, Ali Gomaa, joined the anti-female- circumcision campaign in Egypt by declaring it, along with the Coptic Pope, against Religion, Cairo-based sexologist Heba Kotb joins in and says: "I'm totally against female circumcision. There is no religious or scientific reason for it, but it does not affect sexuality. A woman keeps her nerve endings. I'm opposed to circumcision because it's part of the human body and it's not the right of anyone to cut your body."

Bit of a wishy washy statement that could have been much more forceful coming from a sexologist.

2 Different Interpretations

Sheetudeep.com writes that Bahrain’s Wafa Crowned Miss Arab World 2007 and that 25-year-old Miss Egypt Shaimma Mansour and Miss Lebanon Abeer Layous, 23, became first and second runner-up. Sheetudeep.com covers the Miss Arab World Contest. Al Masry Al Youm, the daily Egyptian Newspaper on the other hand reports that Bahrain's veiled Ms. Wafa Yacoub won the Contest of the Ideal Arab Miss and further reports that modesty does not hinder participation in such contest. The paper also reports that Miss Iraq, Mayada Ali, who lost both her maternal and paternal uncles to the war, sees this contest as both a call for beauty in modesty and a message to the terrorists that Iraqi girls are still on their feet and will not give up.

Muslim jurists to convene in Tehran

Iran's Judiciary Chief Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroud says Tehran will be hosting the first assembly of top judicial officials of Muslim countries.

The question that imposes itself is which officials? Sunni? Shia?

Echo of "Mid-East vow to curb sectarianism." ?
Second attempt after "Jordan to host Iraqi Islamic reconciliation conference."

Egypt arrests more Muslim Brothers

This last arrests raises the number of Muslim Brotherhood members detained in recent months to at least 553.

Previously an Egyptian secular blogger, Kareem Amer, was sentenced for four years in prison for insulting religion and now this? Can't the government make up its mind?

Pope's aide warns of 'threat by Islam'

"Attempts to Islamise the West cannot be denied," Monsignor Georg Gaenswein was quoted as saying.

What about the Westernization of the East?

Hazel Blears: It's time to hear Muslim women speak out

Finally a good idea.

The Cabinet minister at the heart of Gordon Brown's new "hearts-and-minds" campaign to defeat Muslim extremism called today for women to be given a bigger role in British mosques.

In an interview with Daily Mail sister paper Evening Standard, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: "When I meet people on my visits I will expect women and young people to be present.

"Women have a real influence. I don't believe men should be speaking for women. I think their views should be at the heart of this debate ... they have a big influence on the young men in their communities."

Her remarks reflect a shift in government thinking on how to persuade young Muslims away from extremism, including greater focus on women and youth organisations and less deference to the older and mainly male Muslim leaders.